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The Ark of The Port Vertical Zoo
The Ark of The Port Vertical Zoo
Design concept for a vertical zoo in Puerto Madero Buenos Aires. Arquitectum architecture competition.Honorable Mention 2009The Identity of Buenos Aires
Argentineans are called “The People of the Port”, the essence of their identity describes its history of cast away immigrants finding a new place they could call home. The port is the icon of their road to freedom, wonder, hospitality and generosity. Looking to embrace these qualities for animals, the tower is inspired in an Ark which docks in this waterfront symbolizing a place which affords protection, safety and the finding of a new habitat.
Let the Nature in
Most zoos are based on a horizontal design, merging the animals’ artificial habitat with its surroundings resulting in a more liberating enclosed space. As for the Ark of the Port Vertical Zoo, the different habitats are distributed in a way in which each space opens to nature. This is done by leaving the structure of the tower exposed, translating in an actual outdoor experience for both animals and humans in a series of terraces and ramps. In this way, the tower posses a bucolic expression that searches to promote in animals the feeling of belonging to their new shelter.
Zoos are green
To accomplish the closeness to nature the transparency of the tower is not enough. Sustainability is key in the design and brings the tower to a perfect equilibrium with the surroundings of Costanera Sur. In order to follow this concept, attached to its steel diagrid structure, a system of louvers is used. The louvers are made of Green Wood or “Madera Verde” from the Eucalyptus trees that grow along the coastlines of Argentina, unlike any other woods, no preservatives are required. This product is fit for structural uses, with low maintenance, recyclability and a long useful life.
The position of the tower allows the dominant winds to ventilate the spaces naturally through the louvers at the same time they help regulate the light and capture the heat during the day through the glass membrane which separate animals from humans; and preserve the warmth at night inside the animals’ microclimate enclosures maximizing energy savings.
Argentineans are called “The People of the Port”, the essence of their identity describes its history of cast away immigrants finding a new place they could call home. The port is the icon of their road to freedom, wonder, hospitality and generosity. Looking to embrace these qualities for animals, the tower is inspired in an Ark which docks in this waterfront symbolizing a place which affords protection, safety and the finding of a new habitat.
Let the Nature in
Most zoos are based on a horizontal design, merging the animals’ artificial habitat with its surroundings resulting in a more liberating enclosed space. As for the Ark of the Port Vertical Zoo, the different habitats are distributed in a way in which each space opens to nature. This is done by leaving the structure of the tower exposed, translating in an actual outdoor experience for both animals and humans in a series of terraces and ramps. In this way, the tower posses a bucolic expression that searches to promote in animals the feeling of belonging to their new shelter.
Zoos are green
To accomplish the closeness to nature the transparency of the tower is not enough. Sustainability is key in the design and brings the tower to a perfect equilibrium with the surroundings of Costanera Sur. In order to follow this concept, attached to its steel diagrid structure, a system of louvers is used. The louvers are made of Green Wood or “Madera Verde” from the Eucalyptus trees that grow along the coastlines of Argentina, unlike any other woods, no preservatives are required. This product is fit for structural uses, with low maintenance, recyclability and a long useful life.
The position of the tower allows the dominant winds to ventilate the spaces naturally through the louvers at the same time they help regulate the light and capture the heat during the day through the glass membrane which separate animals from humans; and preserve the warmth at night inside the animals’ microclimate enclosures maximizing energy savings.
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